Santa Clara City Library Announces Reopening Timeline for Libraries

The Santa Clara City Library will expand in-person services in the coming weeks. The Mission & Northside Branch Libraries will expand the week of July 26, 2021 and Central Park Library will expand in-person services the week of Aug. 23, 2021.

 Timeline for the Expansion of In-Person Services

As the City and County continue to transition to recovery, the Santa Clara City Library will use a phased approach for the expansion of in-person library services as follows:

Phase 1:         Library patrons will be able to enter the library to browse the collection, return borrowed books, use the self-check out machines and public computers, have questions answered by Library staff, and get assistance with library cards and accounts for the duration of open hours. The Library’s community and study rooms will remain closed as it is anticipated that these facilities will be utilized for the special election in September. Open hours in Phase 1 will be as follows:

Monday, July 26 – Mission Branch Library, 1098 Lexington St., Santa Clara
Hours: Monday and Wednesday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. (closed Thursday through Sunday)

Thursday, July 29 – Northside Branch Library, 695 Moreland Way, Santa Clara
Hours: Thursday, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (closed Monday through Wednesday and Sundays)

Monday, August 23 – Central Park Library, 2635 Homestead Road, Santa Clara
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Wednesday, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. (closed Sundays)

Phase 2: A limited expansion of hours and days of service will take place in early October 2021. This expansion will be based on a patron survey to be conducted during Phase I and subject to staffing limitations.

Phase 3: Provided that local conditions and guidelines permit (and staff have returned to their pre-pandemic roles), it is anticipated that the Library’s hours of operation will be fully restored by the start of the next calendar year.

Safety

As youth-serving facilities, all patrons and staff, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, will be required to wear face coverings while inside Library facilities and while attending the Library’s outdoor programs such as story time.

To ensure the safety of library users and staff, the Santa Clara City Library will implement the following:

• All library patrons, users and staff are required to wear face coverings while inside library facilities or while attending library programs unless otherwise exempt by State and County guidelines.
• Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance and at various service points
• Available public computers will be spaced out to encourage social distancing when possible.
• Sneeze guards have been installed at all public service desks.
• Self-check out machines will be available for those who seek a quick and easy way to pick up materials.

In-person library services have been limited since March 2020 in an effort to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the past 15 months, Library staff have served as disaster service workers providing assistance  for the City’s COVID 19 response efforts, including the weekly distribution of food for youth and seniors, hosting County COVID19 testing and blood donation drives in partnership with the Stanford Blood Center.

Through it all, the Library maintained its core mission of maintaining access to materials by pivoting from curbside to lobby service at Central Park Library, expanding its offerings of virtual programming for children and adults, providing 24/7 access to a full range of electronic resources as well as utilizing its Bookmobile for pick-up and go service throughout neighborhoods. In April 2021, the Library expanded in-person services to both Mission and Northside Branches, restoring neighborhood access to free public computers, copiers, printers and fax machines. In June 2021, the Library expanded its Bookmobile program to City parks and community facilities, offering the ability to browse in-person for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.

Thank you to the community for your ongoing patience. The Santa Clara City Library staff look forward to providing an expansion of services at all three branches and provide residents access to library services and resources.